Bats

[Brenda]

I've often thought about putting up a bat house since we moved out here, but I just haven't gotten around to it. We had a big old barn when we lived in town, and an in-ground pool, so there were a ton of bats around and they'd put on quite the aerial display on summer evenings, swooping over the pool/back yard collecting insects. My identification skills are quite limited when it comes to bats. It wasn't an order that my professors spent much time on when I was in college, and I didn't encounter opportunities to participate in surveys, etc., when I was working with the DEC or the US Forest Service. Does anyone have a bat house, or any interesting sightings/stories to share?

[Matt]

All I could think of when writing the bat guide was this episode of The Office:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MvlCgjchHow

[Jennifer]

Brenda, I've had a bat house for about 5 years and no bats. I'm sure it's hanging too low...but just haven't gotten around to moving it higher. And, um, I'm too scared of heights to move it.

[Brenda]

Do you have it mounted on the side of a building? I'm considering mounting one on a telescoping pole, like I have for my purple martin house (which is also still vacant). I seem to remember coming across that as an option on one of the bat house websites. I don't have a structure on the property that would allow me to mount one high enough, until we can afford to build a barn. We plan to dig a small pond this summer (thanks to a buddy with a backhoe) out on the back forty where we've discovered a spring bubbling from the ground, with the intention of expanding it over time. I thought that would be a good spot for a bat house.

[Matt]

WHERE TO MOUNT YOUR BAT HOUSE
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/bats/bat7.html

Proper placement of your bat house will ensure bats will
want to live in it. Such a placement will let your bat house provide
long term housing and meet the needs which bats have for tempera-
ture and safety. Follow this list carefully and bats will move into your
house quicker and will stay longer. Be sure to use some of our BAT CALL
to increase the likelihood of getting bats as well.

1) In general, your house needs to get a lot of sun. It should
face south, southeast or southwest. If you have more than one house,
have each one facing a different direction.
2) Choose a bat house which is built well. Like you, bats do not
like an airy, leaky place to live. They like a solid feel, a surface which
provides a sure grip and a home which will provide a wide range of
temperature. This is generally accomplished by having chambers inside
your house. A minimum of two chambers is required. The front chamber
should have small air vents about halfway up to allow hot air to escape.
3) Although one house is usually enough, having two allows for
a wide range of temperature. If you have two houses and the bats only
prefer one, set the second one up like the first. Temperature seems to
be the biggest variable which affects if and how many bats will occupy
your house.
4) Try to mount your house at least ten feet high. They may
move into a house which is less then this height, but the general rule is
the higher, the better.
5) Mount your bat house on a pole, the side of your home or on
a tree. When mounting your bat house on a tree, make sure there are
no branches close to hinder bat flight. Bats will not use a house which
is close to branches. Flight here is hard for them and they are less likely
to move into a house which is hard to access. Find a tree which has its
limbs higher than where you intend to place the house and one which is
alone or at the edge of many trees. There is always exceptions to this rule.
One sure way to see if a bat will find your house is to watch where they fly
on your property. If they continuously fly close to a certain tree, it may be
a good location.
6) If you use a tree, make sure you place a shield around its trunk.
Although this is not necessary when you first mount your house, as soon
as bats move in they will become the target of many predators. Such
predators include raccoons, cats and rat snakes. To stop them from
raiding your bat house, place a sheet metal band two feet wide around the
trunk of the tree and mount it eight feet up. Do not place it too low
because some animals may jump over it.
7) Bats prefer to live within a mile of a stream, river or lake.
8 ) Having some sort of night light close to your house or mounted
below it will attract many insects which in turn will attract bats. This
appears to be one way to attract bats to your house. Bats tend to be
opportunistic and they can see well. Once they find an ongoing supply
of insects adjacent to your house, the house becomes a logical place to
roost.
9) Place one ounce of our BAT CALL up inside the house as well as on the
landing pad. This lure is made from Bat Guano along with some special secret
components which bats will smell. Once they smell it they will naturally
inspect where it is coming from which will lead them to your home. Since
bats will readily colonize the inquiring bat will be more likely to take
up harborage in this new found home.
Remember that it is usual for a bat house to be up one or two
years before any bats will move in. Some people install a bat house
and have bats move in within a month! Have patience and watch closely.
If you follow these guidelines, you will soon have these mysterious and
helpful animals taking up residence in your bat house!!!

[Brenda]

Thanks Matt! You beat me to it (busy cleaning after a college reunion here this past weekend). I've found some good info on that site, even though they still want you to buy their products. I was on there recently looking up how to get rid of those rotten carpenter bees, but that's another thread. I'd probably skip the guano part personally, but the rest coincides with other info that I've found. Here are a couple of plans that I found in case anyone (besides me) is interested in building one:

http://www.batworld.org/bcs/BWbathouseplans.pdf

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/ ... ctions.pdf

[Jennifer]

Thanks, Matt. Looks like I'm doing several things wrong.

I was on there recently looking up how to get rid of those rotten carpenter bees, but that's another thread.

We have them too...drilling away into our deck. Another thread might be helpful!

[Matt]

I saw that sears has a great deal going on this cedar bat shelter
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... 0312&aff=Y